Iowa City completes Human Trafficking Pamphlet Friday morning

Iowa City's Assistant City Attorney said a pamphlet of resources was completed Friday morning after the Iowa City Press-Citizen asked Thursday about what progress had been made on the Massage Business policy passed in September.

Iowa City Police Sgt. Jorey Bailey said Thursday there was no new information to provide and no action had been taken on the policy meant to target human trafficking using illicit massage businesses in the wake of the ordinance passing last September.

Bailey did say the department was working on a "handout" but had no further details about it on Thursday. In response, the Iowa City Press-Citizen Thursday submitted a Freedom of Information Act request regarding the handout and other work related to strategy for enforcing the ordinance.

Iowa City Assistant City Attorney Susan Dulek said, via email on Friday the police department and the Iowa City Communications Division created a "created a pamphlet of resources to provide businesses during contact from the City in regard to the recent massage business information requirement" that was finished Friday, Dec. 21.

The two-page pamphlet explains the missions of four advocacy agencies in the region and provides their contact information, Dulek said.

She said the pamphlet creation is the product of the first meeting of the Iowa City Human Trafficking Initiative in October 2018. Attending the meeting were the four advocacy agencies mentioned in the pamphlet and members from the police department.

"It is the hope of city staff that this form ends up in the hands of persons affected by human trafficking, educating them about our local resources and providing them with contact information so they can initiate services for assistance," Dudek wrote.

Following the meeting, the agencies sent the content they wanted included on the handout, Dulek said. She added that the form then went through several revisions until each agency approved the final draft.

"City staff from Neighborhood and Development Services are planning on visiting businesses next week to check on compliance with the ordinance and to hand out the pamphlets," she said in the email.

Dulek said City staff hope the handouts will reach people affected by human trafficking so they can seek out services.

The assistant attorney added the local human trafficking initiative will meet on the first Thursday of each quarter at the Rape Victim Advocacy Headquarters to collaborate on improvements, the implementation of the massage business ordinance and "any concerns that arise over time that may affect victims of human sex trafficking."

Reach Hillary Ojeda at 319-339-7345, hojeda@press-citizen.com or follow her on Twitter at @hillarymojeda